Hok'B'thal
Common Knowledge Not many are aware of this religion as it is isolated to a specific group of Ssa’hinn, aka Hawk-Folk, living on N’Ras in the Fera Isles. Only those that hail from N’Ras, and even within that group there are restrictions (See N’Ras and Ssa’hinn for more information), or specific traders and merchants that are allowed to the island know that this religion even exists. Beliefs Hok’B’thal has core values and ideals that guide those that believe. They are very focused on The Self and Individuality but also Unity through Diversity. They believe that each person has a role and when they fill that role, they are guaranteed a happy and fulfilling life. All Hawk-Folk follow the same religion called Hok’B’thal, though it doesn’t spread past the island's borders. They believe in The One, who gives them their True Names. The specific culture worship Self above all else, except The One. As the young grow older they have life experiences which mark a new chapter of their life, or what caused the change in path. Each name given represents something like this. Obviously no one goes around saying their entire name, that's too difficult (and if someone knows their full name, they believe them to be The One) so to stop any confusion they usually choose a last name to go by. When the names are received, the person goes into a trance-like state and will stay there for 3-5 minutes (the longest recorded name giving trance state was 17 minutes, something really big happened...). Most of the time in the trance is used to process the new information and to firmly implant the name into the person's memory. (The One, is actually the sub consciousness of the people telling them something changed, and to pay attention). Some believe that the name given to them is actually The One's name, and over their life they will discover or earn all of it, which isn't too far from the truth, because The One is Self. The longest recorded name was 253 names long. If a name isn’t given during the Che’fa, then the person is outcast from their particular society and must leave the island in the next 3-7 days depending on specific culture and distance from transportation off the island. Their Anima Ut’Lan is burned, severing their last connection to N’Ras and The One. The Worshiped They worship an entity that they call The One. There is little really known about this entity or if it even exists as no one has ever seen it manifested. There are a few theories on what this entity could be, such as; a godly being who speaks through each Ssa’hinn’s subconscious and connects them all as a race, or a Fae creature who is just messing with the entire race, or perhaps The One doesn’t exist at all and the race just has a deeply ingrained meditation practice that allows them to discover and even add on to their true names. These are just a few theories, there are many more, though the most widely accepted one is the first one listed here. The Ssa’hinn depict The One as a humanoid being made of light with giant wings sprouting from their back, like the Ssahinn themselves, made of feathers of all colours a Ssa’hinn can have except for golden-yellow. Many simpler depictions or symbols associated with The One are of just the wings themselves or of a feather made of light. Religious Practices Muu’flaux: They have a morning worship before breakfast, this consists of meditating for a minimum of one hour but only those of age can participate. Ya’nan: At every meal a portion of everyone’s plate must be tossed into the fire as food for The One. Everyone participates; if children are too young to carry a plate to the fire, the parents do it for them. Karth’lol: There is a ritualistic, communal cleaning of the feathers after dinner every day. Everyone participates and this helps with family bonding and trust. Any stray/lose feathers that fall or are taken out are collected and burned for The One to use in his own giant wings. Celebrations and Holidays All wide spread celebrations are religious in nature. Che’fa (Shay-Fah): The coming of age, normally 15, when a child usually receives their first name from The One. This is when the child starts their third and final molt of feathers and at the end this celebration is held. Ostrith Rites: If there is a trespasser in Falke’Paruntu that is caught, they are sacrificed to The One in a ritual. This great celebration lasts for more than a week. Murtvial: When one dies there is a great celebration of the person’s life and then after the actual funeral service everyone participates in a fast. Kavash: There is another celebration when a person turns 35, 70, and 125. They make a pilgrimage to Falke’Paruntu to visit and worship at the main temple, Karkath. Religious Scripture, Artifacts, and Locations Religious Texts: There are very few religious texts but those that do exist are very sacred and kept in the Religious Library, Hath’ralle, in Falke’Paruntu (unless specified elsewhere). The Lost Book (aka. The One Book): This is a book said to have been written by The One. It is ancient and was kept in a special room, in Hath’ralle, until it was stolen nearly 350 years ago. Now it's location is unknown. The culprit was caught, a reptile-kin outsider, but they had stashed the book in an undisclosed location and it has not been found since then (not for lack of trying though). It supposedly has ancient histories and many magics within it. Many have tried to find it but all have failed. * HAS BEEN FOUND IN THE YEAR 10017. With the help of the Binturian Party, The Lost Book was found and returned to Hath’ralle where it now stays under the watchful eye of the Ud-Fet. Allkiri: A record of every single religious leader. The original was badly damaged in a fire and so the names of the religious leaders from 5230-1467 years ago were lost but the rest have been well preserved and there are three separate copies in each of the Major Cities (These are constantly updated). The main religious leader, the Ud’Hei’Haquis Fetarr, writes the names down in the original and there is a separate section for all Ud-Fet to sign their own names into history. The Book of Murtuv: It contains the Death names, or Final names, of every single person who has passed. It is recorded at the funeral because the deceased is addressed as such except by immediate family. The length of their full True Name is also recorded (not the actual name just how many names long it is) before the deceased’s Anima Ut’Lan is burned. The person who records them has a great honor and is sent to give it to the Ud-Fet in Falke’Paruntu. Anima Ut’Lan (The Soul Bound Book): (this is not kept in Hath’ralle) Each citizen, when born, receives a book that is bound to their soul so only they may open and read its contents. This is where each person’s True Name is recorded over their life. If destroyed, all memory of the island is taken and they feel as though some of their soul has been killed. Religious Locations: These are sites with a strong religious connection. There is a main temple in every large city that the inhabitants will go to and smaller shrines dotted all over. Hath’ralle This is the main religious library located in the capital city, Falke’Paruntu, when most religious texts are kept and the complete histories of the race. It is known as a separate location but it is just one section of the vast library city. Karkath This is the central temple located in Falke’Paruntu where the Ud-Fet goes to worship and those practicing Kavash will travel to. This temple is located directly beneath the religious library, Hath’ralle. Personage Ud’Hei’Haquis Fetarr (aka. Ud-Fet): The head religious leader (pope-like person). They can be of any Tribe and any gender. They have the responsibility of updating the religious histories and the Allkiri and The Book of Murtuv. They also make Governmental decisions with The Great Tribal Council. They only take on one apprentice at a time after they have studied for at least three years. Their location is only known to a select few and even those people only have a general idea. There is a special way to contact them through messenger hawk and magic. They are guarded by the Elite Corpse. They come out for certain major religious ceremonies and rites but otherwise are in an unknown location. Perlindun’gan (aka Per’gan): The group of religious Leaders, usually 7-10 members, that are spirit bound to the magical barrier around the island. Their locations are never truly known by anyone except their guard, who is chosen by each member, and the Ud-Fet. Their magic is a closely guarded secret and they only take an apprentice after they have studied for five years; only one apprentice is accepted and trained at one time (unless the number of members suddenly drops below an acceptable amount and there are not enough fully trained apprentices on standby to fill the spots, then more are taken on). Multiple apprentices can be on standby after completing their training. So if the member number drops drastically then they can boost the number up to the right amount with little difficulty. The members are usually weaker in strength than normal for their Tribe for their life force is being fed to the barrier. They are very rarely in the same place at once and no more than three at a time to reduce the chance of assassination. The only time they are all in one place at the same time would be to induct a trainee into the order as a full member and to bind their life to the barrier. They normally help the Ud-Fet with book upkeep and religious ceremonies that require higher authority. Priests: The regular religious leaders that are at each Tribe city to provide guidance to The One. Lead less prestigious ceremonies like weddings and the daily meditation, though it is not required to meditate with them. Patil: The subunit’s religious leader, probably an apprentice either in training or that didn’t complete their training but did more than one year. Not taken very seriously, their advice is iffy, often they will say to see the Priest of their region. Founding and History Further Information * N'Ras * Ssa'hinn Category:Religion